2012 Olympic bronze medalist, 2008 World champion and USA Wrestling’s Assistant National Women’s Coach Clarissa Chun of Colorado Springs has been selected by the International Olympic Committee as one of first 25 Athlete Role Models for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Chun is one of four U.S. athletes selected for this major honor, along with dance sport athlete Moy (Moises) Rivas. fencer Daryl Homer and sport climbing athlete Josh (Joshua Chagai) Levin.

She is also one of just two wrestling athletes included in this group, joined by Puerto Rico’s 2012 Olympic silver medalist freestyle wrestler Jaime Espinal.

Chun was a two-time U.S. Olympian, winning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games at 48 kg and placing fifth at 48 kg at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Chun joined USA Wrestling’s national staff this past year, working with National Freestyle Coach Terry Steiner and Assistant National Women’s Coach Emma Randall on the national women’s program.

A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, Chun competed at Missouri Valley College. She was a long-time U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. Chun also was part of the wrestling staff at Missouri and West Virginia, where she also trained with their Regional Training Center.

The Youth Olympic Games will be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 6-18, 2018. Wrestling is among the sports on the program at the Youth Olympic Games

IOC PRESS RELEASE
SPORTS STARS TO GATHER AT THE YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) revealed today the first 25 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) who will gather in the Argentinian capital next October to mentor and support the next generation of young athletes who will compete at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.

Sporting legends have been selected by the International Federations in the 32 sports that appear on the Olympic programme at next year’s Youth Olympic Games. The list includes many well-known names in the world of sport, including Olympic and world champions, with more to be revealed closer to the Games.

In Buenos Aires, the ARMs will be on hand for a minimum of five days and will play a key role in supporting and mentoring the 3,998 young athletes that will be participating in the Games.

The ARMs will be accessible to the athletes in the Youth Olympic Village and during a series of educational activities and workshops. These activities will focus on areas such as skills development, careers advice, how to lead healthy lifestyles and the Olympic values.

The ARMs will be behind the scenes during the competitions and will also be available for informal chats in a specially created lounge that will be open to all participants. The athletes and fans can also learn valuable lessons from the ARMs during “Chat with Champions” sessions – a Q&A format to promote discussion with the young athletes. Fans of the YOG will also have the opportunity to put their questions directly to the ARMs during informal chat sessions on the Olympic Channel and wider social media platforms.

The main goal behind the programme is to enable the ARMs to share their experiences and inspire the athletes to be the best they can be both on and off the field of play. Athlete feedback from previous YOG editions have shown that the ARM programme is consistently ranked highly in athletes’ experience. Young athletes are inspired by these ARMs, not only to perform at their best, but also to become positive role models themselves.

In Buenos Aires, the ARMs will also spend time in the four parks, engaging with local youth through various Learn & Share activities and participating in sport initiation sessions for public.

Li Lingwei, Acting Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Buenos Aires 2018 and badminton legend said: “The Athlete Role Models programme is a crucial part of the Youth Olympic Games and an opportunity for young athletes to learn valuable lessons from the best in sport. Competing in international sport at the highest level is an exhilarating career, but it also comes with its pressures and challenges, which is why we are happy to have the team of Athlete Role Models to support the next generation.”

Argentinian tennis player and Olympic medallist Gabriela Sabatini commented on her ARM role, “Sport has provided tremendous opportunities throughout my life and I look forward to helping inspire a new generation of players and fans. Having the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires will be a wonderful occasion, and I am excited to have the chance to be involved and use my experience to give back both to my sport and my home city.”

Below are the first 25 names revealed as ARMs.

Role Models for Buenos Aires 2018
Sport Name Surname National Olympic Committee
Archery- Sjef van den Berg NED
Archery – Aida Roman Arroyo MEX
Badminton - Pi Hongyan FRA
Badminton – Pedro Yang GUA
Dance Sport - Aleksandra Tikka Anniina (AT) FIN
Dance Sport – Moy (Moises) Rivas Moy USA
Equestrian – Matias Albarracin ARG
Equestrian – Luciana Diniz POR
Fencing – Daryl Homer USA
Fencing – Maurice Belen Pérez Maurice ARG
Handball – Gil De Paes Pires BRA
Handball – Andrea Lekic SRB
Hockey – Helen Richardson-Walsh GBR
Hockey – Matias Paredes ARG
Rowing – Abraham Antonia CHI
Rowing – Melita Abraham CHI
Rowing – Cristian Rosso ARG
Shooting – Federico Gil ARG
Shooting – Anna Korakaki GRE
Sport Climbing - Josh (Joshua Chagai) Levin USA
Sport Climbing – Charlotte Durif FRA
Tennis – David Nalbandian ARG
Tennis - Gaby (Gabriela) Sabatini ARG
Wrestling - Clarissa Chun USA
Wrestling – Jaime Espinal PUR

For more information on the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 go to: www.buenosaires2018.com